


The Dowry

by animomma



Series: The Life and Times of Victuuri [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Victor is extra as always, random shenanigans, talk of marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:14:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24451912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/animomma/pseuds/animomma
Summary: In which Yuri brings his new boyfriend to dinner, and there is talk of trading goats.
Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri & Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov, Otabek Altin & Yuri Plisetsky, Otabek Altin/Yuri Plisetsky
Series: The Life and Times of Victuuri [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1166879
Comments: 4
Kudos: 95





	The Dowry

As Yuri stood outside the door of Victor and Yuuri’s apartment, he strangely felt a little nervous. Glancing at the handsome man beside him, he wondered why it was that bringing his new boyfriend to his weekly dinner with his friends was making his stomach clench. Everyone already knew each other, and Yuri had already told his friends last week that he had started dating Otabek. But for some reason, this was different. It felt distinctly like...something that Yuri didn’t want to touch on, something that made him feel uncomfortable with its intimacy. He took a breath to steady himself, and resolutely knocked on the door.

The sounds of Makkachin’s happy barking reverberated from within, and a second later the door was flung open wide. “Yurio! Otabek! So nice to see you!” Victor greeted them with a rather formal smile, stepping aside to usher in his guests. “Come in, come in. Put your things by the door. Yuuri almost has dinner ready. Can I get you two something to drink?”

Taking off his shoes, Otabek responded in his serious voice, “Water would be fine for me, thank you.”

Yuri nodded in agreement, not wanting to pursue his usual argument over the Katsuki-Nikiforov household’s alcohol stance. Of course, Victor noticed this, but although he raised an eyebrow at the blond, he said nothing.

“That smug bastard,” Yuri mumbled as Victor swept into the kitchen. He turned to Otabek and whispered in a rush, “Now remember, don’t let him intimidate you. You’re a wonderful person, and he knows that.” Unconsciously, he furrowed his brow.

Otabek smoothed a hand reassuringly over his elbow, and replied steadily, “Yura, I really don’t know why you’re so worried. I know Victor and Yuuri, they’re both good people, and we’re all just having dinner together as friends. So please try not to be so upset.” 

A forced laugh burst from Yuri’s lips. “Upset? Of course I’m not upset. I’m…” he scowled, not really sure what else to say, and decided to shrug off the issue. “Anyway, let’s go sit down.” Grabbing Otabek’s hand, he led the way into the dining room. 

Victor was already there, setting down two full glasses. “Ah, there you are. I was starting to wonder if you’d lost your way.” He smiled, but there was a bit of restraint behind his eyes.

Thankfully, just then Yuuri walked in carrying a platter of food. He smiled warmly. “Ah, Yuri, Otabek, glad you made it.” He directed his gaze to the Kazakh as he continued, “It’s so nice of you to join us while you’re still in town. We’ve made something of a tradition of eating together once a week, and it will be fun to have more company.” With that soft air that made everyone around him feel comfortable, Yuuri successfully managed to coax a bit of the tightness out of Yuri’s stomach. Grasping his boyfriend’s hand a little less tightly, he walked to his chair and they both sat down. Yuuri returned to the kitchen to get more dishes, as Victor took his seat and smiled at the two of them. Once again, though, this smile was carefully guarded, and it suddenly occurred to Yuri that he had hardly ever seen Victor wear that smile since Yuuri had appeared in his life. 

As Yuuri reappeared with more dishes and finally sat down, Victor turned to look at him, and the stern look on his face was replaced with a genuine smile, one overflowing with tenderness. There. That was the idiotic look that Victor usually wore now. 

But the look didn’t last long. After they had all served themselves, Victor turned back to Otabek, and that stiff smile had returned. Leaning on his elbow towards the younger man, Victor asked in a velvety smooth voice, “So, Otabek, what exactly are your intentions with our Yurio?”

Yuri nearly spat his food out across the table. Struggling to maintain his control, he instead choked and coughed on his mouthful, leaving him unable to say anything as he struggled to get a drink of water. Patting his back reassuringly, Otabek first assessed his boyfriend’s condition, and apparently satisfied with the water Yuri was gulping, turned back to Victor and replied in his even voice, “I’m not exactly sure what you mean

Yuuri was looking at his husband with horror on his face, but Victor was steadfastly examining Otabek. “I think you do know what I mean, young man. Yurio likes to pretend that he’s all tough, but I think we all know that underneath it, he has a lot of potential to get emotionally hurt. I just want to make sure that you’re going into this relationship with his best interests in mind, and that you’re not wanting to just screw around with him.”

Finally, Yuri managed to gasp in a breath of air, and he rounded on the older Russian. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, old man? You think I’m just going to sit here and let you talk shit about me? I’m not some emotionally frail maiden, you know!”

Hurriedly, Yuuri broke in, “No, of course not, Yuri, I’m sure that’s not what Vitya meant.” Now glaring at his husband, his body moved in a way that suggested he had kicked out under the table, but Victor ignored him and leveled his gaze at Yuri instead.

“Yurio, I’m only doing this with you in mind. Yuuri and I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

As Yuuri sputtered, Yuri snapped, “Yeah, well I don’t need you two to take care of me. I can look out for myself just fine, and it just so happens that I’m very happy with Beka!”

“I wasn’t questioning your feelings, Yurio. I’m wanting to make sure that Otabek here is going to treat you properly.”

Yuri gritted his teeth and suppressed a scream. This was an absolute disaster, even worse than he had anticipated. He wanted nothing more than to punch Victor in the face.

Otabek’s gentle hand coming to rest on his leg startled him so much, though, that he forgot almost instantly about his murderous thoughts. He stared at his boyfriend as Otabek nodded serenely before turning to face Victor. “Although I’m a bit hurt that you feel the need to question me like this, of course I can answer you. I have absolutely no intention of doing anything that would ever hurt Yura. He’s the most important person in the world to me, and I can assure you that I am just as happy about this relationship as he is, and that I anticipated and longed for it just as much. If possible, I have no intention of ever letting him go.” He gave Yuri’s leg a small squeeze. “I am also aware of the need to be careful of his feelings. I have watched him for a long time, as you likely know, and I am proceeding as cautiously as possible.”

Yuri sat dumbfounded as his boyfriend and friend stared each other down. Beka had really thought that much about him? About their relationship? He had known that his boyfriend loved him, but he hadn’t imagined that it ran this deep. 

After a moment or two, Victor finally nodded in assent. “Very well, then. I am sorry to interrogate you, but I hope you understand that Yurio is special to us, and we have an interest in protecting him.”

Otabek nodded in response. “As do I.”

Finding his voice, Yuri practically screeched, “This is all very well and good for you two, but if you’re quite finished, I’d just like to have dinner with my friends and my boyfriend in peace! Unless, of course, you’d like to start negotiations for a dowry. Tell me, Victor, how many goats must Otabek give you for my hand?”

Across the table, Yuuri reached his hand out and clutched his husband’s on the top of the table, a strange expression flitting across his face.

Yuri looked at him suspiciously. “What’s the matter with you, Katsudon?”

“Oh, nothing, nothing at all,” Yuuri answered quickly. “It’s just...well...I’m not sure if you’ve ever called us your friends before.”

Realizing what he had said, Yuri felt his face flush scarlet. Glaring down at his food, he stabbed his fork into it vehemently and growled, “Yeah, don’t let it get to your head.”

He tried his best to focus on his food, but he was interrupted by Otabek’s serious voice. “So, Victor, how many goats do you require for Yura’s hand?”

Yuri snapped his head up, appalled, as Victor answered seriously, “Oh, that’s certainly a good question. I would think at least 40. He is, after all, a very special person.”

Otabek nodded in agreement, and Yuri looked at him, ready to yell, but was stopped by the smile that perked at the corners of his boyfriend’s mouth. Mesmerized, he stared at the gentle look, wanting to etch the scene in his memory.

But Yuuri was more than ready to be appalled on his behalf. He sharply reprimanded his husband. “Vitya, that’s quite enough! You’re embarrassing him!”

Somehow, Yuuri managed to steer the conversation back on track to more lighthearted topics, but at the end of the night, as Yuri and Otabek were leaving the apartment, Otabek glanced sideways at his boyfriend. “You know, I would gladly track down 40 goats and trade them for your hand in marriage.”

Yuri glared up at him, but when he caught the twinkle in the dark eyes he couldn’t contain a burst of laughter. He clung helplessly to Otabek’s arm as he laughed until there were tears in his eyes. When he had finally calmed down, he wheezed, “I’m sorry, Beka. But the whole thing was just so ridiculous. I’m sorry you got grilled like that, I honestly don’t know what got into the old man.”

“Well, he cares about you a lot. They both do.” Turning to direct his once again serious gaze at Yuri, he added, “As I do.”

Yuri’s heart beat rapidly at the coolness exuded by that gaze. Before he could think of anything to say in return, Otabek’s mouth was descending on his, and he was caught up in a sweet, gentle kiss. Now clinging to his boyfriend’s arm for an entirely different reason, Yuri trembled with the force of the love that he felt himself wrapped up in.

When Otabek broke away, Yuri looked up at him and mumbled, “Me too, Beka. I really love you.”

There was a flash in his dark eyes, and their mouths met once again. Otabek took his time to thoroughly kiss Yuri, and Yuri couldn’t help thinking that maybe getting married to this man wouldn’t be so bad. 

Even if it did involve goats.


End file.
